Colorado Rep. Jared Polis Has a Plan to Keep Recreational and Medical Marijuana Safe From Sessions

Rep. Jared Polis has a plan to keep the feds from raiding and prosecuting marijuana businesses in states that have voted to legalize the drug.

The Boulder Democrat hopes to attach an amendment to Congress’ annual spending bill for the U.S. Department of Justice that would essentially tie Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ hands when it comes to using federal funds to go after states following their own marijuana rules.

“If we successfully attach it and it becomes law, no attorney general — despite what they might want to do — would be able to use the funds that Congress gave them to crack down on activities that are legal under state law with regard to marijuana,” Polis said Wednesday. “When those funds run out and there’s a new appropriations bill the next year, we’d attach the same language.”

The titular McClintock-Polis Amendment, named after Polis and Rep. Tom McClintock, R-California, is the best bet to keep Sessions from turning negative comments about marijuana into raids and prosecutions related to the drug, Polis said.

In a speech Wednesday in Virginia, Sessions said, “I reject the idea that America will be a better place if marijuana is sold in every corner store. And I am astonished to hear people suggest that we can solve our heroin crisis by legalizing marijuana — so people can trade one life-wrecking dependency for another that’s only slightly less awful. Our nation needs to say clearly once again that using drugs will destroy your life.”